SailFest, Tennessee Williams, Pares Balta, Macon-Chaintre "Les Clos", Von Schleinitz , Chateau d'Oupia, Alonso del Yerro

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.thamesriver.com


SailFest XXX is here - 30 years - is it possible? -
Our line up of wine for Friday night will help to kick-off the big weekend.

The list is just below a few items of news and interest.


• Lots of email, questions and comments from all of you this week - here are a couple of the items from our Mailbag.

Q- How come you close at 8:00 o'clock during the week - can't you stay open later?
A - DONE. - You asked for it - and for the Summer Month's we will be open until 9:00 p.m. Monday thru Saturday.

Q - What is the wine policy at Brie & Bleu.
A - Our Wine Philosophy goes against everything that traditional restaurant wine programs stand for. We offer wine by the glass and by the bottle at the lowest possible markup.
We make our wine choices by offering wine that is not normally available by the glass in restaurants. We also encourage all of our friends and customers to step next door to the wine shop and make a purchase to bring back to their table.
We will provide everything else that you need - there are No "Corkage Fees."

• Theater & Wine Event - July 23 - in our Wine Cellar - 860-443-9463 - limited seating.
A Tennessee Williams piece called "A Perfect Analysis Given By A Parrot".
The 20 minute one-act play is being performed by two New York City actresses (one of whom is Marion Markham, a Westerly native) with special appearances by local actors Arthur Bucky Walsh and Arthur Pignataro, and will be hosted at various venues throughout the region during the third week of July; the programming will open in New York this fall followed by a tour out West. The series has been dubbed "Pub Plays", as it is a brief piece of programming being used in restaurants and clubs, at happy hours and full multi-course dinners to entertain guests - a model finding great success in New York City.

• Our own Dave Anderson's Monday wine tasting is building steam.
David has a gift for rooting out the best values for his dollar - this is what he has set up for this Monday:

Pares Balta Blanc de Pacs $11
Dave Anderson:
"Ever since Patricio Brongo from Pares Balta stopped by the store (interview on wineradio.com) and tried us on this wine, we've been selling it like beer in the Fenway bleacher seats. It's so omnipresent, my nickname for it is "Pares Hilton." But this tasty white can still be confusing, like, what is it? "Why, it's a blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello of course." What does that mean? That means it's actually still Cava. Cava without the bubbles. Simpler still, it's YUMMY. Come try it on Monday, the tasting starts whenever you show up..."

Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday July 13 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Domaine Michel Cheveau Macon-Chaintre "Les Clos" 2006 $ 20
The Domaine Michel Cheveau was created in the 1950s by André Cheveau and is now operated by his son, Michel, and his grandson, Nicolas. The family home and the cellars are situated in the heart of the village of Pouilly. A total of thirteen hectares of vineyards are owned and cultivated by the Cheveau family with the holdings spread out over a variety of villages and climates. The vineyards are worked without fertilizers and the harvest is done manually. After a gentle passage through a pneumatic press, the fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled conditions. It is done either in stainless steel or in small and mid-size oak barrels, depending on the appellation and structure of the wine. This wine is 100% chardonnay and it shows off broad pear and apple flavors. Nicely expressive right out of the bottle this wine drinks Beautifully. Trully maconnaise style, the wine is spectacular for the money.

2 - Von Schleinitz Spatburgunder Rose 2006 $10 Pinot Noir rose from Germany
The Hähn family has been in the wine business since 1650. In 1892 Peter Hähn moved to Kobern and started a small winery. In 1956 his grandson Karlheinz Hähn expanded the winery by buying the Freiherr von Schleinitz estate and merged the two keeping the von Schleinitz name. Freiherr von Schleinitz estate is recognized as one of the top estates in the region. The high quality of the wines is contiuously confirmed by awards and medals received in regional and national as well as international competitions. This is a great value.


3 - Chateau d'Oupia " Les Barons" Minervois 2002 $14
Robert Parker has consistently praised this estate and rated the wine a “best buy.”
“Château d'Oupia has produced the ideal bistro wine. Dark, ruby-colored, the wine is wonderfully clean and pure, with an exuberant personality, and gobs of rich, peppery, red and black fruit...Bravo to proprietor André Iché!” - RP.

André Iché inherited an impressive 13th century castle and a large estate in the barren Minervois region. Iché, now in his mid sixties and never a member of his village coop, tended his very old vines and made his wines but sold everything in bulk to local négociants. Fifteen years ago, a Burgundian winemaker happened to be in Oupia, tasted Iché’s wines, and was so enthused that he convinced Iché to bottle and market his production.
Try it on Friday - and see what you think.


4 - Alonso del Yerro Ribera del Duero 2004 $30
Robert Parker has rated this wine 94 points. And this is what he had to say:
"The 2004 Alonso del Yerro is 100% Tempranillo that was aged on its lees for 12 months in French oak prior to bottling. It is a seamless, opulent, voluptuous red boasting a flamboyant perfume of espresso roast, sweet black cherries, creme de cassis, licorice, and new oak. A stunning texture, superb ripeness, low acidity, silky tannin, and a long, heady finish indicate it should drink well for 10-12 years. This superb offering suggests this producer from the somewhat over-crowded Ribera del Duero appellation deserves consumers’ attention. No other than the great French winemaking guru, Stephane Derenoncourt, oversees the viticulture and winemaking at this estate."


Thanks very much for all of the comments, suggestions and especially all of your support - we appreciate it.
It will be very busy downtown because of SailFest this week - give yourselves a little extra time to get around - and enjoy.

Please say hello the next time you are in the store.
We hope to see you on Friday night.
It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.


AAA.